As I was looking for the blog post of Regan and Scott’s engagement session that we did earlier this year, I realized I never blogged them!   We had such a great time for that session and I loved how they turned out, so I will definitely be blogging about them soon.   But first, THEIR WEDDING DAY!!

You guys have often seen me talk about photographing the weddings or babies of people that I also photographed as seniors in high school, and how awesome it is to see them grow up and be a part of so many stages of their lives.   I think this bride beats that …. I used to babysit for Regan when I was in high school, so I’ve known her since she was a toddler!  I hadn’t seen her since then, though, so imagine how much fun it was to reconnect with her and her family, now that she’s all grown and getting married!

Regan is now an RN working as a school nurse and Scott is a project manager who have been together for a few years.   They’ve had quite a year – losing a home in Ida, moving in with Regan’s parents, getting engaged, planning a wedding, and getting married – all in just one year!   And what a way to wind up a crazy year – their wedding was definitely one for the books!

Regan and Scott’s wedding was held at her family home in Old Gretna.   This area of New Orleans holds a lot of meaning for them, which is why they were engaged there, took their engagement photos there, and ultimately, got married there. (Bonus for me, it was only a few blocks from my parent’s house – it took me 2 minutes to get home!)   The beautiful, historic home was the perfect backdrop for their wedding, despite the rain and chilly temperatures.   In the days leading up to the wedding, I can’t imagine how anxious Regan, Scott, and their families were while watching the weather.  The chance of rain that day was almost 100% and Regan had her heart set on an outdoor ceremony under a beautiful maple tree in the yard.   I was also nervous about it because I just couldn’t imagine how things would work out for portraits if the weather was as bad as predicted, but that afternoon, I pulled up to the house to see a tent covering the ceremony area as well as the large tent on the other side, all set up for the reception and ready for whatever was going to happen.  And luckily, it hardly rained the whole night!

Regan had a vision for her wedding day and it was all pulled together beautifully, with the help of her planner, Kelly Rayner.  Candlelight, gold and white details with greenery accents and twinkle lights – everything was just stunning!  You have to scroll through all the reception details – I absolutely love all the gold accents!

Regan and Scott both got ready in different areas of the home and had their first look on the front porch.  Regan had special gifts for both Scott and his son, Brady.  (An adorable custom figure of their dog!)  Because of the rain, we did some couples portraits and family portraits on the front porch as well.  After the ceremony, we were able to do some more family formals under the tent by the ceremony backdrop and then were able to do some fun things by the twinkle light-wrapped tree.  Their guests welcomed them into their reception with a sparkler line-up – something that I’ve done once before and absolutely loved.  Just a quick little PSA for brides – doing either a small, controlled exit at the church or a larger controlled entrance is a lot easier than trying to wrangle all of your guests for an exit at the end of the night.  Quite often, the guests are tired and have been drinking, which can make it feel like herding cats sometimes!   If you do this at the beginning of the reception, you will also still look fresh as well!  This is also a great idea if your photographer isn’t staying until the end of the reception.   Brides often opt to do a “fake exit” but in my experience, this is just as difficult and takes a huge chunk of time away from the party.   Some guests often leave after this exit as well.

The reception, held under a large, walled-in tent (with heat!) was absolutely a blast!   The Boogie Men had the guests dancing all night long and I got some really great shots of everyone on the dance floor.  There was also a surprise guest singer, one of the server’s from Capdeboscq!   She was absolutely amazing at singing Tennessee Whiskey with the band.

Regan and Scott had their first dance followed by a special dance with Regan’s dad and stepdad.   This was such a sweet way to honor both of the men in her life.   And then my favorite dance, Regan and her younger brother, Grant.   I guess because I have a daughter and a son who share a special bond, sibling dances and interactions always get my emotions going!

Overall, I don’t think this day could have gone any better!   In the end, the rain mostly held off, the guests had a blast and Regan and Scott are now husband and wife – you can’t ask for much more than that!   Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Cronin – enjoy your week in Napa!

DETAILS:
Ceremony / Reception – Home in Old Gretna
Wedding Dress:  Bliss Bridal, New Orleans
Hair and Make-Up:  Maegan Lejuene
Bridesmaids Dress:  Jenny Yoo
Florist:  Dale’s
Invitations:  Gem Printing, Metairie
Cake:  Chrisoula’s Cheesecake Shoppe, Pensacola
Band:  The Boogie Men
Catering:  Capdeboseq Catering
Wedding Planner:  Kelly Rayner, RaynerShine Events